Stage 3 Loadshedding was terminated at 22:14 on Tuesday, February 12 and will resume from 08:00 to 23:00 on Wednesday, February 13 as a result of a shortage of capacity due to a number of generating units that are out of service due to breakdowns.
Our maintenance teams continue to work hard and through the night to bring units back online. Four units totalling 1 675MW were returned yesterday and they expect an additional 600MW to return to service tomorrow.
Despite the return of these generating units as planned and some replenishment of diesel supplies, the water and diesel emergency reserves are still very low and we remain concerned about the risk to our operations as a result of Wednesday’s planned national strike action by COSATU.
We have activated contingency measures in the event that employees participate in the strike action and should there be further impact on our operations.
However it is important to note that in terms of Section 77(1) of the Labour Relations Act, only employees who are not engaged in an essential service or a maintenance service have the right to participate in the strike action.
Stage 3 calls for 3000MW to be rotationally loadshed nationally at a given period. Loadshedding is conducted rotationally as a measure of last resort to protect the power system from a total collapse or blackout.
We continue to appeal to residents and businesses to use electricity sparingly during this period.
Please switch off geysers as well as all non-essential lighting and electricity appliances to assist in reducing demand.
Loadshedding schedule for in and around eMalahleni:
Doornpoort Substation and Clewer, Ogies,Phola Substations will be affected from 13:00 until 15:30.
KwaGuqa Substation and Ga Nala Substation will be affected from 15:00 until 17:30.
Grobler Substation will be affected from 17:00 until 19:30.
Doornpoort Substation will be affected from 21:00 until 23:00.